If Tony Beats Cotto...it doesn't mean Cotto can't beat Floyd....

[zhubin]

Floyd is all about $$$...hence...he will most likely never fight Tony. If Tony upsets Cotto and makes it clear he is the man at WW....there might be a small chance he will get a fight with Mayweather...but i doubt it. Tony isn't a superstar and he doesn't have a huge fan base. Cotto is the rising superstar and he does have a huge fan base. That being said, i think Tony would be way over his head fighting Floyd. And as good a fighter as Cotto is...i can't see him beating Floyd either. Sure, Cotto has an excellent jab (and a jab is key to having success against Floyd). But he doesn't have great speed and is still open to getting hit. It would be a good fight no doubt. But Floyd is still to slick and fast for him.

[Rican]

I agree with Gamo 100%. If Cotto loses to Margo, how can Floyd say Cotto doesn't deserve to fight him, considering Floyd has ducked Margarito for years? People say Floyd defeats Margo, but that has never been proven in the ring, and we know Margo would give a better performance than Baldomir, Gatti, Mitchell, Brusseles, Hatton, and yes, de la Hoya. If Margo beats Cotto, then he definitely deserves first crack at Floyd, but I doubt Floyd wants to fight Margo at all.

[amat]

I agree with Gamo 100%. If Cotto loses to Margo, how can Floyd say Cotto doesn't deserve to fight him, considering Floyd has ducked Margarito for years? People say Floyd defeats Margo, but that has never been proven in the ring, and we know Margo would give a better performance than Baldomir, Gatti, Mitchell, Brusseles, Hatton, and yes, de la Hoya. If Margo beats Cotto, then he definitely deserves first crack at Floyd, but I doubt Floyd wants to fight Margo at all.

I disagree with that. I don't think Margarito - Mayweather ever happens even if Margarito somehow beats Cotto and perosnally I don't really care. I don't think Margarito would win more then 3 rounds versus Mayweather. Don't think he would fare as well as DLH or Hatton.

[CutMeMick]

People gotta understand sometimes and I've been like this myself that because a fighter looses to someone then he's done or that means he can't beat anyonelse.

I definitely understand this. But the point is that there is a big enough gap in talent between Margarito and Floyd, that if Cotto can't beat Margarito, it's reasonable to assume he can't beat Floyd.

It's not like Margarito presents some awkward style that could give Cotto fits. Cotto is superior in every aspect to Margarito. More power, faster hands, better jab, more offensive variety, better defense, etc. Margarito has the type of style that should allow Cotto to show off all his skills. If Cotto can't do that against Margarito, then he's not as good as we thought.

The talent gap between Vilomar and Mancini or Escalera was how far apart?

Duran beat SRL, SRL beat Hearns now that didn't mean that when Duran fought Hearns that he was gonna win did it?

So because Cotto loses to Margarito that doesn't mean he can't beat PBF.

[amat]

People gotta understand sometimes and I've been like this myself that because a fighter looses to someone then he's done or that means he can't beat anyonelse.

I definitely understand this. But the point is that there is a big enough gap in talent between Margarito and Floyd, that if Cotto can't beat Margarito, it's reasonable to assume he can't beat Floyd.

It's not like Margarito presents some awkward style that could give Cotto fits. Cotto is superior in every aspect to Margarito. More power, faster hands, better jab, more offensive variety, better defense, etc. Margarito has the type of style that should allow Cotto to show off all his skills. If Cotto can't do that against Margarito, then he's not as good as we thought.

The talent gap between Vilomar and Mancini or Escalera was how far apart?

Duran beat SRL, SRL beat Hearns now that didn't mean that when Duran fought Hearns that he was gonna win did it?

So because Cotto loses to Margarito that doesn't mean he can't beat PBF.

This is different though because this is a case where Margarito isn't your traditional "trap" fight which a lot of those were. Margarito isn't some unknown and the reasons most of the fighters you named were expecting to roll right over their opponents, not evaluating the threats they possessed. This happened with Cotto and Torres, someone he showed no respect for his power and then found out the hard way he could bang. Torres was a low profile guy, good but most expected a Cotto beating to be unleashed.

He knows Tony is a tough guy but he is better, he should know that he will have to be in top form and as a champion, that's what is expected of him.

Cotto needs to do what is expected of him in beating Tony otherwise how could we ever believe he expects to beat Mayweather? And that's a valid point. No matter what Cotto will have the chance to beat Maweather but realistically, he can't lose to Margarito and expect to beat Floyd.

[El Gamo]

Floyd fans are silly. If they think Floyd can beat an opponent easily,they say he's not worth fighting(or act that way). What dumbass thinking.

And IF Tony beats Cotto,I guarantee he would do better than Hatto,Baldo etc v Floyd.A mARGARITO WOULD BE MORE INTERESTING THAN A REMATCH V hATTON WHO IS SHITE AT 147 OR A totally WEIGHT DRAINED oSCAR AT 147. Margarito would reck both of those guys tt 147.If it was as easy as some of you buthuggers said,Floyd wouldn't have turned down an $8mill payday for such an easy nights work would he?

[SweetPea]

Duran beat SRL, SRL beat Hearns now that didn't mean that when Duran fought Hearns that he was gonna win did it?

This is a completely different situation though. Leonard, Duran and Hearns were all on a similar level. They were all elite all-time great fighters, and since they were all on a similar level, style matchups came into play.

That's my point here.... Mayweather, Cotto, and Margarito are not all on similar levels. Mayweather is an elite fighter. Margarito is a very good professional fighter, but not elite. Cotto is a very very good fighter who has shown many signs of being an elite fighter. If Cotto can't beat Margarito, who is a clear level or two below Mayweather, then there's no reason to believe Cotto can beat Mayweather.

Generally speaking, upsets occur for one of three reasons:
1. The favorite comes in unprepared and/or out of shape
2. The underdog has a style that is tailor-made to give the favorite problems
3. The favorite isn't as good as we thought he was

#1 and #2 do not apply to Cotto-Margarito. Cotto is a pro who shows up focused and in-shape. This is a big PPV fight that's already being billed as a FOTY candidate. Cotto isn't going to show up unprepared or out of shape.
Margarito does not have the type of style to give Cotto fits. Margarito shows very little movement and is right there to be hit all night long. Margarito is a high-contact fighter, and that should allow Cotto to show off his superior offensive arsenal all night long.

Which leaves only #3. If Cotto loses, it won't be because he's out-of-shape, it won't be because he's unprepared, it won't be because of a bad style matchup. If he loses, it will mean that he's closer to Margarito's "very good" level, and not close to Mayweather's "elite" level.

I completely understand your point that we often overreact to one loss on a fighter's record. That is absolutely true and I've been guilty of it before. I also completely agree with your statement that just because A beats B, and B beats C, that doesn't mean A automatically beats C. But in this particular case, I think the only type of fighter than can beat Mayweather right now is a Top 5 PFP star fighter, and if Cotto is really a Top 5 PFP star fighter (which I believe he is), then he has no excuse to lose to Margarito, who is very good, but not THAT good.

[CutMeMick]

Duran beat SRL, SRL beat Hearns now that didn't mean that when Duran fought Hearns that he was gonna win did it?

This is a completely different situation though. Leonard, Duran and Hearns were all on a similar level. They were all elite all-time great fighters, and since they were all on a similar level, style matchups came into play.

That's my point here.... Mayweather, Cotto, and Margarito are not all on similar levels. Mayweather is an elite fighter. Margarito is a very good professional fighter, but not elite. Cotto is a very very good fighter who has shown many signs of being an elite fighter. If Cotto can't beat Margarito, who is a clear level or two below Mayweather, then there's no reason to believe Cotto can beat Mayweather.

Generally speaking, upsets occur for one of three reasons:
1. The favorite comes in unprepared and/or out of shape
2. The underdog has a style that is tailor-made to give the favorite problems
3. The favorite isn't as good as we thought he was

#1 and #2 do not apply to Cotto-Margarito. Cotto is a pro who shows up focused and in-shape. This is a big PPV fight that's already being billed as a FOTY candidate. Cotto isn't going to show up unprepared or out of shape.
Margarito does not have the type of style to give Cotto fits. Margarito shows very little movement and is right there to be hit all night long. Margarito is a high-contact fighter, and that should allow Cotto to show off his superior offensive arsenal all night long.

Which leaves only #3. If Cotto loses, it won't be because he's out-of-shape, it won't be because he's unprepared, it won't be because of a bad style matchup. If he loses, it will mean that he's closer to Margarito's "very good" level, and not close to Mayweather's "elite" level.

I completely understand your point that we often overreact to one loss on a fighter's record. That is absolutely true and I've been guilty of it before. I also completely agree with your statement that just because A beats B, and B beats C, that doesn't mean A automatically beats C. But in this particular case, I think the only type of fighter than can beat Mayweather right now is a Top 5 PFP star fighter, and if Cotto is really a Top 5 PFP star fighter (which I believe he is), then he has no excuse to lose to Margarito, who is very good, but not THAT good.

Well we can be here ALL week and until the end of this year going back and forth supporting each others theory and in the end I don't think your wrong nore Am I. It's just a matter of POV, I for one think that beating one fighter does not mean you can beat the next just because the consensus says the fighter you beat is better then the next or visa versa.

Regardless of how 1 may see it, I think that loosing to 1 fighter does not mean you cant beat the best. Cause I can be here naming example after example and you'll just come up with reasons to how they differ.
From records, to styles to names etc. etc. etc.

Sweet,
I don't wanna get too much into #1 and your statements about Cotto but what if I told you that Cottos not really what he's been made out to be. I've tried to keep my mouth shut for a while but it seems like little by little it's all coming out. Reports of him at bars/clubs drinking and womanizing have surged in the past months. If you run some searches I'm sure you'll come across it.